


Coming Home

by scifishipper



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Angst, Domesticity, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-14 23:45:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2207541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifishipper/pseuds/scifishipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach's three month trip to New York doesn't turn out the way he expects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> My first Pinto fic, inspired by 1000 fic challenge!! <3 
> 
> (Featuring my own vague AU where the timelines don't match our known reality :P)

Zach’s getting into L.A. three hours later than he’s supposed to. The last flight out from New York was delayed out of the gate, and then delayed again in Chicago. He’s been even more on edge than usual, fighting back snappish comments and glares because his fucking agent booked a party he _had_ to attend the day he was supposed to leave. He’d been so furious that he’d nearly fired her and only relented when she’d finally agreed to stop pretending like he didn’t have a personal life. Since then, she’s been kissing his ass and managed to switch the second leg of his flight so he did actually make it home when he wanted to. 

The way he’s been feeling, it seems like a million years since he’s seen Chris, even though it’s been only eleven weeks. When he took the part in his friend’s play, he thought he’d get used to it, find a routine and some new friends and the time would fly. But it fucking hadn’t, and the thought of delaying even one more minute makes him want to burn things. He prides himself on his self-control, but knowing he was going to see Chris soon, thinking about what he was going to do with him, made him ache deep into his bones. 

When Zach finally gets out of the airport, traffic is a fucking nightmare and his cell phone’s died, and he wonders how in the fuck people can jam the freeway at one in the morning. He keeps his cool with the driver, but it’s three-thirty by the time the cab rolls up to their place and by then his head hurts and he has to piss. The house is darker than he expects, but then he realizes that he hasn’t texted Chris since Chicago, so he probably had no idea when he’d get home. When Zach goes up the front walk, he can hear Noah’s nails clacking on the wood and his whining around edges of the door. With a lopsided grin, he unlocks the door and lets everything drop onto the entryway floor to hug his dog and scratch him behind the neck. He smells like home.

Except. “Blagh. Your breath stinks,” Zach coughs and wipes his face when Noah licks into his mouth. He nudges the dog away to stand and drags his bags from the door so he can close it. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he plugs it into the charger and heads to the bathroom. His head is pounding, so he grabs two Advil and drinks a giant glass of water. Flying makes him feel like shit and he’s so tired he just wants his bed. More, he wants what’s in his bed.

Zach strips off his jacket and tosses it over the dining room chair, not caring when he hears it sliding onto the floor. Down the hall and up a few steps is the bedroom and he pushes the door open quietly. He remembers that Chris had a six a.m. call today and must have been exhausted.

Zach’s breath catches, as it always does, to see Chris lying there, cool moonlight streaming onto his naked pale skin. He’s half on his side, legs splayed and slightly bent, his hand curled towards his face, mouth slightly open and snoring lightly. His chest and shoulders are bare against the crisp white sheets and Zach just stares. He thinks sometimes he’s crazy for the way he worships Chris. Not in a pathetic kind of way, but in the kind of way that makes him think he’s the fucking luckiest guy on earth. Especially when they haven’t seen each other in forever and all Zach can do is think about his face and his body and how much he wants to touch him. Just looking at him in their bed makes his dick twitch, and if he wasn’t so exhausted, he’d fuck him awake, but he thinks his head would explode. 

Zach undresses silently, eyes pinned to Chris as he lets his clothes fall into a pile. He thinks he probably smells bad and really wants to take a shower, but the effort’s too much and Chris lying there is too delicious. So, he kneels on the bed and crawls behind him, hand sliding over his thigh and hip before curling around his waist and tucking his hand under Chris’s folded arm. Warmth spreads through Zach, a feeling of something long-missed and finally recovered, but still raw, like an ache he can’t quite soothe. 

“Mmm. Hey, baby,” Chris mumbles, pushing back against Zach’s chest. “Everything okay?” he asks, voice thick. Chris is a heavy sleeper and Zach knows he’s lucky to get more than a grunt.

“Yeah. Everything’s good,” he answers, threading his arms and legs through Chris’s. “Really good.” Chris feels amazing and warm and smells so fucking perfect. Zach nuzzles his shoulder, and hair, and inhales deeply, breathing in everything he has missed so much. Within moments, right exactly where he wants to be, he falls asleep. 

~*~

Zach wakes to a hot mouth around his dick. “Oh, fuck. Mmm.” Zach groans and stretches a little, shifting to straighten his legs. He blinks his eyes open and Chris tries to smile around his erection, blue eyes crinkling.

“Well, good morning,” Zach says, and his breath hitches as Chris grips the base of his dick and strokes to the top, letting his mouth pop off.

“Morning. I missed you,” Chris says, grinning for real this time and then holding Zach’s eyes as he slides his tongue around the head and slit. Zach shudders and sucks in breath. It’s so fucking sexy. Every. Goddamn. Time. And sometimes he wonders how it can keep on going like this. How he never gets tired of those eyes and that mouth, especially when they’re between his legs doing these wonderful things to him. 

Chris licks him again and Zach feels his bladder aching. “Gah, fuck. Chris. I have to piss,” Zach says, loathe to move, wanting to come so badly, but knows he won’t. 

Chris pops off again and bites his thigh. “Hurry up.”

Zach scrambles off the bed and spends five minutes trying to get his dick to soften enough to actually get it done. Fuck. He finally does it and rinses his mouth with mouthwash. When he comes out, Chris is sitting on the overstuffed chair reading the paper, pretending to ignore him. 

Zach chuckles, and flicks his dick against the paper. “Forgetting someone, Mr. Pine?” 

“Hmm?” Chris feigns disinterest, flips the page, and Zach drops to his knees, hands sliding up Chris’s thighs, short nails scratching into his flesh. Zach follows with his tongue until his head is under the paper, licking around Chris’s balls. 

“Well, hello,” Chris says and tries to laugh, but chokes a little when Zach takes one of his balls into his mouth and suckles. “Fuck, Zach.” Chris says, and tosses the paper onto the floor. Zach crawls his way up Chris’s body and straddles his lap in the chair. They’re face to face in the light and Chris breaks into a wide grin before he pulls him in for a kiss. It’s everything the stupid romance movies make it out to be as the kiss makes every molecule in Zach's body tingle. Chris is warm and delicious, his hard chest and thighs pressing against him, arms pulling him in tightly as their tongues explore.

“I fucking missed you,” Zach says between kisses. He runs his palms over Chris’s shoulders and arms and back up to cup the side of his face. “Why did I leave again?” he asks, breathless. 

“Because you’re some fucking big shot actor or something?” Chris teases, nipping Zach’s lip and using his perfect teeth to bite along Zach’s jaw. Chris’s dick is pressing against Zach’s erection and he reaches between them, grasping both and moving his hips. 

Chris groans and bites Zach harder, exhaling hot breath onto Zach’s shoulder. “Come on, I wanna get off. More later. Now, just this. Just touching you.” Chris rocks his hips and brings one of his hands down to stroke Zach. They’re all tongues and hands and breath, getting hotter and faster, until Chris gasps, sucking in air and squeezing Zach’s ass hard enough to bruise. “Zach, fuck,” he moans, mouth stuttering open and Zach strokes him through his orgasm, hot come spilling over his hand. Zach thrusts into Chris’s palm, his forehead digging into Chris’s collarbone as he reaches the crest and comes hard onto Chris’s stomach.

“My fucking god,” Zach goes boneless against Chris, smearing wetness between them as he wraps his legs tighter against the sides of Chris’s ribs. “I’m never leaving again,” he groans, blissed out and happy, listening to Chris’s heart beating against his ear. 

“Mmm. You’ve said that before, Mr. Quinto,” Chris teases. He’s lazily stroking a path from Zach’s ass to his hair, planting small kisses on his shoulder and neck and Zach’s a little amazed that he’s the one who’s ended up draped over Chris instead of the other way around. But it’s always been unusual with them. Trying to do it all differently because Zach’s bullshit is, well, bullshit and he knows he can ruin them with his rules and rigidity, so he’s chilled the fuck out. It had taken them two years to finally get together, and in that time he’s compromised more than he ever has before. And when he’s like this, wrapped around Chris, he knows it’s all worth it.

“I think my legs are going numb,” Chris says finally, nudging Zach.

“Shit, yeah. I think we might be glued together,” Zach says, tilting his hips away and groaning as the air hits the mess between them. 

Chris groans and laughs and Zach climbs off with stiff limbs and drags Chris to the shower. They wash each other and kiss a lot, not saying much, just laughing and making up for lost time. Zach thinks about blowing him, but when Chris’s stomach rumbles for breakfast, Zach doesn’t even try. He knows the pecking order around here. 

~*~

Zach and Chris do nothing all morning. Literally nothing noteworthy except lie on the sofa and flip through t.v. channels like it’s the most ordinary day. Zach loves every minute.

Their house is quiet and airy and the day outside is gorgeous. After a couple of hours, Zach unpacks, and Chris walks Noah and takes a swim. Zach catches up on his mail and ignores all of the messages on his phone that aren’t from his mom. It feels good to let it go. There’s no emergency that his agent that can’t handle and it’s the first time in a long time that he doesn’t feel brittle with stress. It’s wonderful. 

Chris pads into the house, feet slapping on the tiles and rubbing his hair with a towel. “So, what do you want to do tonight? Go out?” Chris is gorgeous wet and Zach lets his eyes drag slowly down his body.

“I have other ideas, Mr. Pine. And they don’t involve watching you stuff bacon cheeseburgers in your maw,” Zach says, making a mildly horrified face at Chris.

Chris tilts his neck and smacks the side of his head to get water out of his ear. “I can think of other things I’d like to stick into my mouth.”

Zach raises his eyebrow as he gathers up a pile of old newspapers. “Oh, yeah?” 

“Mmm hmm.” Chris shakes his head, seeming satisfied that his brain isn’t going to drown. “But what about dinner?”

“It’s three o’clock, Chris,” Zach chuckles and moves away to throw the papers into the recycling. Chris would eat every hour if Zach didn’t poke him around the gut and tease him about Shatner’s Kirk.

“Yeah, but I wanna know now. There’s a new Thai place on Lamont.” Chris wraps his towel around his waist. “Want to try it?”

“Could we order in? Do you mind? I just want it to be us.” Zach leans against the kitchen island, letting himself watch a bead of water trail down Chris’s chest. Zach’s had enough time without Chris that he just doesn’t want to share.

“Yeah, we can stay in. Whatever you want.” Chris walks over and drapes his arms around Zach’s neck and kisses him, letting his tongue trail along the seam of his lips. 

Zach feels the familiar tightness in his chest, the overwhelming need to crush Chris against him, slide inside him somehow because he can’t get physically close enough. Chris must be able to read his mind, because he does exactly that, squeezes Zach so tight that he can’t breathe and wouldn’t want to if it meant Chris letting go.

When Chris releases him, Zach’s eyes get wet and he blinks hard. 

“Hey…what?” Chris hugs him again, lighter this time, stroking a hand through Zach’s hair.

“I just missed you,” Zach says, feeling raw.

“I know. Me, too. S’okay, though, right? You’re back now.” Chris nuzzles his temple.

Zach doesn’t understand why he’s getting even more upset. Maybe it’s the jet lag or the letdown from the play, or maybe he’s just been holding on so tightly the whole time he’s been gone, feeling split in two and just now getting put back together again.

“No, really. What’s going on?” Chris is leaning back, looking at him with concern and worry.

Zach swipes a hand across his eyes. “I’m a fucking sap, that’s all. Ignore me.” He turns away and puts his hands on the cool granite of the kitchen island. He takes a deep breath and feels Chris move away, his hand still on Zach’s back. 

“I just missed you,” Zach repeats, knowing that’s not it. He’s trying really hard to keep the real issue from pouring out of his mouth. 

“Come on, what’s really going on? You’re upset.” Chris’s voice sounds wary.

“Chris…” Zach turns around again, but can’t meet Chris’s eyes.

“Oh, my god, you’re not breaking up with me, are you?” Chris asks, face going pale.

“What? Fuck, no. Shit. It’s a play. It’s just a play.” Zach is bewildered and his mouth hangs open. “Why would you even think that?” He feels his stomach quaking at the thought of it. 

“Okay, okay!” Chris raises his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, your face was just... Okay, a play. Got it. Tell me.” Chris shakes himself and looks expectantly at Zach.

“I auditioned for Angels in America.” Zach rubs his hands hard on his face. “They offered it to me.” Zach says it and holds his breath.

“Hey, that’s great, right? You love that play. Oh my god, baby. That’s amazing.” Chris hugs him again, but Zach is like a limp doll in his arms. It doesn’t feel amazing at all.

Chris looks totally confused and steps back. “What’s happening? Why aren’t you excited?” 

“This…” Zach waves his arms around at their house, which is a rental, but still theirs. It’s big and spacious and feels like the two of them blended together. Chris’s rows and rows of books that he allowed Zach to alphabetize, and the colors that Chris made him add to the walls when he just wanted stark and clean. “This is all so perfect, Chris. You, everything. I can’t leave it. Fuck.” Zach lets his head drop, feels the lies and bullshit he’s been telling everyone catching up with him. The acting’s been amazing, but he’s missed this simple thing he has with Chris. Sometimes it’s completely nuts and hard between them, but now…it’s just what he wants but he hates what it means. 

“But it’s right here. I’m right here. You wanted that part. I thought maybe nothing happened with it because you didn’t mention anything.” Chris leans against the kitchen counter, arms folded across his chest. Zach avoids his eyes and stares at his shoulder.

“I didn’t want to tell you. It’s long-term, Chris. Not like Vic’s play. It could be a long run. I mean… they hope.” Zach’s throat is thick with the thought of being in New York indefinitely. He can’t leave this. He doesn’t think he’s strong enough no matter how badly he wants to act. 

“But isn’t that good? You’ve worked so hard.” Chris gets what it means, to be dying for a part or to work with an actor he admires. 

“I don’t know…” Zach says, pulling on the edge of his t-shirt.

“Zach, what’s going on? I’ve never seen you like this. You’re usually bouncing off the wall about this kind of stuff. It’s kind of freaking me out.” Chris shifts around and rubs his jaw.

He feels the words piling up behind his tongue, blocked by a wedge of insecurity and fear. “I can’t,” Zach finally chokes out and spins out of the kitchen and practically runs down the hall and out the door. 

Chris calls him but Zach keeps going, around the garage and along the inside of the fence that goes around the front. He stops and flops onto one of the chairs in a shady area of the yard. He feels like a mess and wonders what in the hell happened. He was fine. He was going to work it out. Talk to Chris like a fucking grown up, see what they could do. When he was right there, though, the idea of leaving Chris again made him want to throw up. Flying back and forth, missing each other, texting and calling and skyping. It wasn’t enough. Zach wanted _him_ , not some technological interpretation. It fucking sucked. 

He hears Chris’s footsteps, then, “Hey…” and plops down in the grass a few feet away and looks up at Zach. “You wanna tell me what the hell is going on because I’m really confused. We’re supposed to talk, especially when one of us is away. That was the deal, right?” 

“Yeah,” Zach agrees. They’d said a lot of things before Zach moved to New York and Zach has tried to do it right. They’d only been living together for a month when Zach’s old CMU buddy begged him to come to New York. It was his foot in the door, and after Spock, he wanted to show more of his range. To not be pegged as a Vulcan or a psychopath. 

“So, out with it.” Chris crawls across the grass and wraps a hand around one of Zach’s ankles. 

“It’s just…I want both. You and the play. I can’t do this again, Chris. Leave you and Noah and even stupid Harold, and it’s fucking with my head because I want it so badly.” He lets it out all in one breath, glances at Chris, and then away to stare at the ivy coming over the fence.

Chris stays silent a while, his fingers stroking Zach’s ankle, and rolls onto his back to stare up at the clouds. A truck rumbles past their house and when Zach glances back at Chris, he’s looking at him, brow furrowed.

“So, would you want me there? Like, I mean, I know you have your New York friends and it’s not really my scene, but, like, I could come there…with you.” Chris sounds so adorably insecure that Zach barely registers his words.

“Wait, what? You come to New York? Really?” Zach straightens in his chair. 

“Well, yeah. I mean it’s not forever, right?” Chris sits up and loops his arms across his knees.

“But…I don’t know. You told me that you didn’t want to move, that California made you happy. New York’s…well, you know. It’s not California.”

Chris chuckles. “No, shit. But I’d rather go there than you give up this part.” Chris shakes his head and Zach’s not sure. 

“I can’t ask you to do that. I mean, no. You have your family here. Your friends. Your favorite cheeseburgers.” Zach rolls the idea around in his mind, not quite being able to imagine Chris anywhere else but here.

“You didn’t ask. I offered.” Chris scoots forward and runs both of his hands up the sides of Zach’s legs to find his hands and squeezes them. “Really. You should have just told me all of this before instead of worrying about it. Why do you do that?” Chris nudges Zach’s knee with his chin. 

“I…I don’t know. I, we, I mean, I don’t know how to make decisions when it’s both of us. My longest relationship was with a pair of Converse All Stars I had in the tenth grade. I – I just never thought you’d be willing…you know, to move.” Zach has never felt so inarticulate in his entire life. This is what Chris brings him to. Fuck. 

“Yeah, well I am. And I would’ve said that way back then if you’d have just talked to me.” Chris puts on his pouty face.

“Well, maybe I was in denial.” Zach offers, a little defensive, then flicks Chris’s forehead.

“Hey, I just agreed to move across the country and you’re abusing me!” Chris opens his mouth wide and bites down on Zach’s thigh.

“Ow, you fucker!” Zach pushes his hand under Chris’s chin and rubs at the spot. “Damn, now I need a rabies shot.”

“Asshole,” Chris laughs and threads his fingers through Zach’s, picking up rubbing the spot where he bit him. “Seriously, though, man. I’ll move. I mean I can’t yet. I’ve got to wrap on the film, but after that…” Chris looks up at him. “I mean, you want that, right? I realize that you never really said…”

Zach thwacks him on the side of the head. “You’re an idiot.” 

“Prick,” Chris barks playfully and yanks Zach off the chair and down on top of him. He wraps his arms around tight. “You are an absolute fucking moron and I have no idea why I love you as much as I do.”

Zach grins. “Is it my charming optimism?”

Chris slides his hands down Zach’s back and squeezes his ass. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly it.”


End file.
